Message: A Place for Troubled Hearts / John 14:1-14

 Today is the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Easter is a season of life. It reminds us that death does not have the last word. It invites us to bring our whole selves before God. Easter faith helps us find the life of Christ in the midst of our everyday lives.

Today, we also celebrate Mental Health Sunday in The United Church of Canada. Mental health is not only a personal issue. It is something our society and our community need to face together. On Sunday, November 16 last year, during worship, we did a survey about the justice issues that matter to us today. Among fourteen topics, the one our congregation chose most was "Addiction and Mental Health Support." This shows us that this issue is not far from us.

Research and statistics also show how important mental health is in Canada today. According to a study by RiskAnalytica in 2011, one in five Canadians experiences some form of mental health problem each year, and by the age of forty, about half of the population will have experienced a mental illness. Statistics Canada's 2022 survey shows that 18.3% of Canadians aged 15 and older met the diagnostic criteria for a mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder in the preceding 12 months.

This is not just about numbers. It is about real people. People who cannot sleep at night. People who live with trauma. People who feel powerless because of depression. Mental health is not only their issue. It is our issue. It belongs to our neighbours and our families, and perhaps to something deep within our own hearts.

Thankfully, attitudes toward mental health are changing. More and more people know that these struggles do not need to be hidden. This is a good change. Yet many still feel ashamed to speak honestly about mental health. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, 60% of those with a mental health problem or illness will not seek help because they are afraid of being labelled.

Mental health struggles are not about a failed heart or a shameful mind. When we have a physical illness, we see a doctor, take medication, rest, and receive help. Likewise, mental health conditions need care and professional help. Our minds are not separate from our bodies. The brain, nervous system, stress, memory, relationships, emotions, and social environment can all impact mental health. When there are signs of mental health distress, therapy or medication may be needed.

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled." This is not a command to push down the pain in the heart. These words are part of Jesus' farewell to his disciples before his suffering. Judas had already gone out into the darkness to betray him, and Jesus had also said that Peter would deny him three times. The situation shook the disciples, and their hearts were troubled.

Jesus knew that their hearts were struggling and afraid. But Jesus does not shame troubled hearts. Instead, Jesus speaks tenderly to them: "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" These words are often heard at funerals, but they are not only about hope after death. In John's Gospel, the phrase "dwelling places" does not simply mean rooms somewhere in heaven. It means a place of dwelling with God, a space of abiding opened in Jesus.

The dwelling places Jesus is going to prepare are not only for healthy and strong people. There is room for those who have troubled hearts, like the disciples. There is room for anxious people. There is room for tired people. There is room for wounded people. There is room for those who are recovering. There is room for those with many questions. There is room for those who do not even have the strength to speak.

Then Thomas asks, "We do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" He does not pretend. He is honest about what he does not know, and Jesus does not ignore his question. In response to Thomas' question, Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life."

Jesus is the Way. When we feel lost, Jesus does not simply point to a direction from a distance, but walks with us. Everyone has a different path. No one has the same one. What matters is to walk with Jesus. When we walk with Jesus, our path becomes the way that leads us toward the dwelling place God has prepared.

Jesus is the Truth. Lies whisper to us: You are weak. You are a burden. You are alone. You are not enough. If your faith were stronger, you would not feel this way. But Jesus reveals the truth: You are God's beloved. Your pain is not the whole of who you are. Your illness is not your identity. Your trembling does not push you outside of God's sight. You are a person who deserves care and help.

Jesus is the Life. It does not arrive as a dramatic miracle in a second. Life is a process. Just as the morning of resurrection comes after the cross, life comes out of the valley of the shadow of death. We do not need to be ashamed when we are in darkness or wilderness. Christ does not give up on us. Even there, life can begin to take root, slowly and quietly. It may come through tears in a counselling room. It may come when medication helps the body and mind become a little more steady. It may come through a phone call from a friend. It may come when someone prays beside a person who does not have the strength to pray. In these quiet, ordinary moments, the life of Christ is already present.

After Jesus' death, two disciples experienced especially deep sorrow and despair. They were Judas and Peter. One betrayed Jesus, and the other denied Jesus three times. Both failed. Both knew guilt. Both had troubled hearts.

But their stories ended differently. Judas became isolated in his guilt and shame. He carried the burden alone, and eventually he took his own life. His story is painful. It shows us how dangerous shame can become when it cuts a person off from others, from hope, and from grace.

Peter also failed deeply. He denied Jesus and wept bitterly. But his failure was not the end of his story. He did not fall into self-condemnation. He waited, and the risen Christ came to him again. When Jesus asked, "Do you love me?" Peter was invited back into relationship, healing, and service.

This contrast is a warning and an invitation. When our hearts are troubled, guilt and shame can tell us to hide, stay alone, and believe there is no way back. But Christ calls us toward another way. Do not carry the burden alone. Speak to someone. Reach out for help. Stay within the reach of grace.

The church is called to be that kind of place. It is a dwelling place where people do not have to disappear into shame, a community where troubled hearts can be heard, held, and guided toward help.

The church is not a hospital or a professional treatment centre for mental health. We cannot replace doctors, counsellors, or mental health professionals. But the church is still needed as a healing community. Jesus says to us, "The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do." This means listening without judgment. Walking with someone as they seek help. Reaching out to those who are lonely. Refusing to treat mental health struggles as a lack of faith. Creating a space where people do not have to hide their pain, where dignity is restored, and where roots can grow deeper together. This is the healing ministry given to us. This is a sign of resurrection life.

Today, we come honestly to Christ with our own hearts. Bright hearts and heavy hearts. Strong hearts and tired hearts. Faithful hearts and questioning hearts. Peaceful hearts and wounded hearts. Jesus does not turn away when we are weak. Jesus does not blame when our hearts are troubled. Instead, Jesus comes closer as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus prepares dwelling places for all of us.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rev. Min Hwang